SAN DIEGO — If you were downtown during the lunch hour on Tuesday you may have noticed a wide load making its through the Gaslamp. The historic home that once sat in Little Italy for more than a century was moved to Barrio Logan to make room for a residential high-rise.
Onlookers pulled out their phones to watch the 1,400 square-foot historic home maneuver through one-way streets and over trolley tracks through the Gaslamp.
The owners of the historic home say it's been a long time coming.
“I believe it's been almost three years since we first started conceptualizing this project,” said Matthew Segal.
Segal, an architect like his father, Jonathan Segal FAIA bought the property at 1620 Union Street to build a 24-story residential high-rise.
In 2022, when plans to relocate the historic home went before the planning commission it received mixed reviews from the public.
“The context down here in Barrio Logan is much more consistent with the original context of the home. And this should be a great new location for it,” said Segal.
The Segal family said they didn't want to tear down the 1800s home. Instead, they invested a pretty penny to preserve the home.
“Relocate, permitting, reconstruction, new foundations, right around $400,000,” said Segal.
Segal says the historic home may be old, but it still has good bones, so it won't sit empty., “Two more housing units to help solve the housing crisis."
The home will be on the same Barrio Logan property at 2646 Newton Avenue where Segal developed 26 residential units.
“We try to focus on doing good with all of our projects, socially, architecturally, and for the neighborhood's benefit in the history of San Diego,” said Segal.
As the house made its way to Barrio Logan, it helped carve out a piece of history.
“It’s important to work in the context of the historical nature of San Diego, which is young, relatively speaking, but where we can save, we often do,” said Segal.
Development for the high rise at Union and Cedar is expected in 2026.
WATCH: House moved from Mission Hills to La Mesa 1967
WATCH: Neighbors unsure of plans to move historic home in Little Italy to build apartment complex (April 2023)